Dear Jojo, If you can scan the relevant parts of the original census images and send me the scans attached to an e-mail, I'll do my best to decipher the handwriting. Although it is in Carmarthenshire, Penboyr is only two miles from the Cardiganshire border. It's quite possible that the 1851 census enumerator made a mistake in interpreting the county name when transcribing the data from the census form into the enumerators logbook, especially if the householder had used an abbreviation. For example "Cards" could have been misread as "Carms". It's possible the householder didn't mention the county name at all, in which case one is relying on a census enumerator in Monmuuthshire being familiar with the geography of CDG and CMN. I agree that Cenarth is another possibility for "Cernan" --- but without seeing the original handwriting it is difficult to make a firm judgement. Kind regards, John ---------------------------- John Ball, Ystalyfera, South Wales, UK E-mail: wfha@clara.co.uk Homepage: http://home.clara.net/wfha/ Welsh Family History Archive: http://home.clara.net/wfha/wales/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jojo Smith" <ojoj2100@yahoo.ca> To: <WLS-CARDIGANSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 6:39 AM Subject: [WLS-CGN] Re: Unreadable CGN names Julie and John, thanks for the ideas. The reference to CGN "Penboyr" was from the 1851 Mon census for Nantyglo/Blaina (HO107/2447/folio 395 Blaina). On the 1881 census, the birthplace was also stated as Cardigan, but without a town mentioned. The family is on both the 1861(3997 117 28 Blaina) and 1871 (5318 27 47 Cwmtillery West) as well, but I just have the index info for those.) If anyone has access to the actual census images to see in person what is written there for the birthplace, the head of this household was George SMITH, born in the early 1820s (age given as 30 in 1851), Frome, Somerset. The person in question was his wife, Rachel, who, in 1851, was 4 years older (age given as 34), but who , according to the rest of the censuses, was about 8 years older. The other unreadable birthplace, "Cernan" was from the same 1851 census (HO107/2447/Folio 340 Clyn Mawr) for Magdalin JONES, 51, wife of John JONES, 70, farmer of 30 acres, born Aberystruth. "Cellan" is a possibility. I noticed another possibility as well, earlier today, "Cenarth" which is SE from Cardigan city on a modern map. Jojo --------------------------------- Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals ==== WLS-CARDIGANSHIRE Mailing List ==== National Library of Wales http://www.llgc.org.uk/ --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003

Judy, In my previous message, copied below, please correct my mistyping of CGN (I put CDG). Also an afterthought about your suggestion Cenarth: Cenarth is in Carmarthenshire, not Cardiganshire, although admittedly it is right on the county border. Kind regards, John ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ball" <wfha@clara.co.uk> To: <WLS-CARDIGANSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 8:01 AM Subject: Re: [WLS-CGN] Re: Unreadable CGN names Dear Jojo, If you can scan the relevant parts of the original census images and send me the scans attached to an e-mail, I'll do my best to decipher the handwriting. Although it is in Carmarthenshire, Penboyr is only two miles from the Cardiganshire border. It's quite possible that the 1851 census enumerator made a mistake in interpreting the county name when transcribing the data from the census form into the enumerators logbook, especially if the householder had used an abbreviation. For example "Cards" could have been misread as "Carms". It's possible the householder didn't mention the county name at all, in which case one is relying on a census enumerator in Monmuuthshire being familiar with the geography of CDG and CMN. I agree that Cenarth is another possibility for "Cernan" --- but without seeing the original handwriting it is difficult to make a firm judgement. Kind regards, John ---------------------------- John Ball, Ystalyfera, South Wales, UK E-mail: wfha@clara.co.uk Homepage: http://home.clara.net/wfha/ Welsh Family History Archive: http://home.clara.net/wfha/wales/ --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003